Animal Technician

Join us as an Animal Technician and make an invaluable contribution to our Food Safety & Biosecurity!

This is a Fixed Term Position to cover Maternity leave. The contract will be for approx. 15 months.

As an Animal Technician, you will work in Feras Specialist Wildlife Facility (SWF), where you will be responsible for supporting all aspects of the facility work, including undertaking animal husbandry and maintenance tasks to ensure the smooth running of the facility. The role will include supporting work conducted under the Animals (scientific procedures) Act 1986. This is an opportunity for someone with a genuine passion for animal care and welfare who is looking to work with a diverse range of species in a specialist environment.

What you’ll be doing:

• Carrying out daily animal husbandry tasks for a wide variety of animal species, ensuring the highest standards of animal care and welfare are maintained.
• Monitoring animals at least once daily, identifying and reporting any abnormal findings or welfare concerns.
• Supporting routine facility operations, including preparing animal accommodation, cleaning cages and pens, operating equipment, and maintaining facilities to required standards.
• Maintaining laboratory and animal facilities, including daily equipment checks, basic instrument maintenance, and general housekeeping activities.
• Working in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), standard operating procedures, and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Participating in species specialist meetings to discuss and promote animal welfare improvements and 3Rs initiatives.
• Working flexibly across different areas of the facility and contributing to weekend, bank holiday, and out-of-hours cover as required.

What we’re looking for:

• Previous experience working with a range of animal species.
• A genuine interest in animal care, welfare, and husbandry.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to maintain clear, accurate, and high-quality records.
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Good IT skills, including experience using Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.
• A flexible approach, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to participate in a rota covering weekends, bank holidays, and out-of-hours support.

What’s in it for you?

• ?25 days’ holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, free parking and a discounted on-site nursery.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, you can contact recruitment@fera.co.uk

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at recruitment@fera.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.

At Fera, we’re making the world a better, healthier and safer place. We’re a joint venture partnership between Bridgepoint and Defra and we’re working proactively to protect the world we live in and the food we eat. Our teams are investigating plant and bee health, crop protection and sustainable agriculture. Join us and discover better as you deliver world-class science for the future.